Pudding Lane Monument – Great Fire of London 1666 – Road Hen Scrapbook by TheRoadHen What caused the Great Fire – The Old meets the New. The Monument to the Great Fire of London, more commonly known simply as the Monument, is a Doric column in the City of London, near the northern end of London Bridge, which commemorates the Great Fire of London. It stands at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, 202 ft (62 m) tall and 202 ft (62 m) from the spot in Pudding Lane where the Great Fire started on 2 September 1666. Another monument, the Golden Boy of Pye Corner, marks the point near Smithfield where the fire was stopped. Constructed between 1671 and 1677, it was built on the site of St. Margaret’s, Fish Street, the first church to be burnt down by the Great Fire. The Monument comprises a fluted Doric column built of Portland stone topped with a gildedurn of fire. It was designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke.

Its height marks its distance from the site of the shop of Thomas Farynor, the king’s baker, where the Great Fire began. The top of the Monument is reached by a narrow winding staircase of 311 steps. Three sides of the base carry inscriptions in Latin. The one on the south side describes actions taken by King Charles II following the fire. The one on the east describes how the Monument was started and brought to perfection, and under which mayors. Inscriptions on the north side describe how the fire started, how much damage it caused, and how it was eventually extinguished.[1] In 1681, the words “but Popish frenzy, which wrought such horrors, is not yet quenched” were added to the end of the inscription. Text on the east side originally falsely blamed Roman Catholics for the fire (“burning of this protestant city, begun and carried on by the treachery and malice of the popish faction”), which prompted Alexander Pope (himself a Catholic) to say of the area: Where London’s column, pointing at the skies, Like a tall bully, lifts the head, and lies. – Moral Essays, Epistle iii.

line 339 (1733–1734). Although there was little loss of life, the fire brought all activity to a halt, having consumed or severely damaged thousands of houses, hundreds of streets, the City’s gates, public buildings, churches and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The only buildings to survive in part were those built of stone, like St. Paul’s and the Guildhall. The area around Pudding Lane was full of warehouses containing highly flammable things like timber, rope and oil. It was a very strong easterly wind blew the fire from house to house in the narrow streets, which were mostly thatched, as tile at the time was expensive and timber framed, working folk’s housing. In 1979 archaeologists excavated the remains of a burnt-out shop on Pudding Lane which was very close to the bakery where the fire started. In the cellar they found the charred remnants of 20 barrels of tar/pitch. Pitch burns very easily and would have helped to spread the fire. Among the burnt objects from the shop, the archaeologists found these melted pieces of pottery which show that the temperature of the fire was as high as 1700 degrees Celsius!

A Frenchman, Robert Hubert, confessed to starting the Great Fire and was hanged. However, he wasn’t actually in London when the fire started, often confessions were bullied out, so they local constabulary could settle blame. Rebuilding of London & a monument to the people that died: Ironically, Sir Christopher Wren had suggested that the cathedral should be demolished before the fire. He had been commissioned to redesign it following years of neglect and mistreatment. These plans were opposed, and wooden scaffolding was constructed around the cathedral to allow it to be redeveloped without demolition. As the fire reached St Paul’s Cathedral, the wooden scaffolding surrounding it would have contributed to the extent of its destruction. Sir Christopher Wren prepared several designs for the Monument and the selection and approval of his final design was made after careful consideration of the several alternative plans which he submitted. Wren at first proposed a pillar with sculptured flames of gilt bronze issuing from loopholes in the shaft, and a phoenix on the summit rising from her ashes, also of gilt bronze. For consideration, the statue was, however, found to be impracticable on the ground of expense, and the present vase or urn of flames was therefore substituted.

A letter printed by Elmes in his biography of the great architect, fully describes Wren’s views as to the most suitable ornament for the summit of the Monument: “In pursuance of an order of the Committee for City Lands, I doe herewith offer the several designs which some months since I showed his Majesties, for his approbation; who was then pleased to think a large ball of metal gilt would be most agreeable, in regard it would give an ornament to the town, at a very great distance; not that his Majesty disliked a statue; and if any proposal of this sort be more acceptable to the City, I shall most readily represent the same to his Majesty. I cannot but commend a large statue, as carrying much dignity with it; and that which would be more valuable in the eyes of foreigners and strangers. It hath been proposed to cast such a one in brasses, of twelve foot high, for £1,000.

I hope (if it be allowed) we may find those who will cast a figure for that money, of fifteen foot high, which will suit the greatnesses of the pillar, and is (as I take it) the largest at this day extant; and this would undoubtedly be the noblest finishing that can be found answerable to so goodly a worked, in all men’s judgments. A ball of copper, nine foot diameter, cast in several pieces, with flames in gilt, may well done, with the iron works and fixing, for £350; and this will be most acceptable of anything inferior to a statue, by reason of good appearance at a distance and because one may go up into it, and upon occasion use it for fireworks. A phoenix was at first thought of and is the ornament in the wooden model of the pillar, which I caused to be made before it was begun; but upon second thoughts, I rejected it, because it will be costly, not easily understood at that height and worse understood at distance; and lastly, dangerous by reason of the sale the spread wings will carry in the wind.

The balcony must be made of substantial well forged works, there being no need, at that distance, of filed work; and I suppose (for I cannot exactly guess the weight), it may be well performed and fixed, according to good design, for fourscore and ten pounds including painting. All which is humbly submitted to your consideration. As part of the rebuilding, it was decided to erect a permanent memorial of the Great Fire near the place where it began. Sir Christopher Wren, Surveyor General to King Charles II and the architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and his friend and colleague, Dr Robert Hooke, provided a design for a colossal Doric column in the antique tradition. They drew up plans for a column containing a cantilevered stone staircase of 311 steps leading to a viewing platform. This was surmounted by a drum and a copper urn from which flames emerged, symbolizing the Great Fire. The Monument, as it came to be called, is 202 feet – the exact distance between it and the site in Pudding Lane where the fire began.

The column was completed in 1677, and in accordance with Wren’s original intention, was at first used as a place for certain experiments of the Royal Society, but vibrations caused by ceaseless traffic proved too great for the success of these experiments and they were discontinued; thereafter the Monument became a place of historic interest, unique of its kind, providing visitors with an opportunity to look across London in all directions from a height of about 160 feet, being the level of the public gallery. Remains of the bakery at Pudding Lane. Several incidents have taken place at the Monument during the passage of the years, some amusing, some daring and some tragic. In the Daily Journal of 16th September 1732 appears this account of a sailor’s adventure: “Yesterday, about 5 o’clock in the evening, notwithstanding the wind was so high, a sailor flew from the top of the Monument to the Upper Three Tuns tavern in Grace church Street, which he did in less than half a minute; there was a numerous crowd of spectators to see him.

He came down within 20 feet of the place where the rope was fixed, and then flung himself off; and offered, if the gentlemen would make him a handsome collection, he would go up and fly down again.” Remains of the bakery at Pudding Lane. On 25th June 1750, William Green, a weaver, whilst reaching over the railing of the balcony to look at a live eagle kept there in a cage, accidentally lost his balance and fell over to his death. A dedication to the six people who have committed suicide by throwing themselves from the gallery, which is now caged: • John Cradock, a baker, 7th July 1788; • Lyon Levi, a Jewish diamond merchant, 18th January 1810; • a baker named Leander, in the same year; • Margaret Moyes, daughter of a baker, 11th September 1839; • Robert Donaldson Hawes, a 15-year-old boy, 18th October 1839; • Jane Cooper, a servant-girl, 19th August 1842.

After this tragedy the building was temporarily closed while the gallery was enclosed in an iron cage 10 Known Facts – The Old and the New: Fact One -There was a bit of a foody theme going on regarding The Great Fire of London. It began in a bakery on Pudding Lane just after midnight on Sunday 2nd September 1666. It was said to be extinguised on Wednesday 5th September at Pie Corner (or Pye Corner) in Smithfield. Over 100 years earlier in 1559, London’s destruction by a “consuming fire” had been predicted by a concerned person. His name? Daniel Baker. Fact Two – The Golden Boy of Pye Corner is a gold-plated wooden monument situated on the corner of Cock Lane and Giltspur Street. An inscription states “This boy is in memory put up for the late Fire of London occasioned by The Sin of Gluttony, 1666” It was originally built into the front of a pub called The Fortune of War which was demolished in 1910. Fact Three – The most famous building destroyed by the fire was St Paul’s Cathedral. After the fire, its ruins were demolished.

Work to rebuild it began in 1675 based on designs by Sir Christopher Wren. The result is the St Paul’s Cathedral that now stands in London with its famous dome. Fact Four -Only six deaths were officially recorded as a result of the Great Fire of London, with the first death being a maid of the baker’s family in Pudding Lane. There were likely many more, as deaths of working class people weren’t recorded and it is possible that many bodies were cremated in the fire. Fact Five – The Great Fire of London coincided with the time that the last major outbreak of the bubonic plague in London ended. In 1665, the year before the fire, it is thought that 100,000 people, 15% of London’s population, were killed by the plague. Some people believed that the fire in 1666 killed the rats and fleas that carried the disease and helped to rid the city of it. However, it is now thought that the disease had already been on the decline beforehand. In other European cities, the bubonic plague appeared to die out at the same time, without the assistance of accidental great fires.

Fact Six – Thatched roofs were banned in London after the fire as they were believed to be one of the main reasons that it was able to spread so rapidly throughout the city. The ban is still in place today and special permission had to be granted for The Globe Theatre to have a thatched roof. The Globe Theatre is a modern-day replica of Shakespeare’s original Globe theatre, and opened in 1997. As we’re talking about fires, the Globe Theatre of Shakespeare’s time was destroyed in 1612 after a cannon misfired and set fire to its thatching. It was rebuilt the following year but closed down in 1642 and was demolished in 1644. Fact Seven – Putting out a fire in the Seventeenth Century wasn’t an easy task. Water wasn’t freely available to be pumped onto a fire. Instead, one of the most common methods of fire fighting was to demolish buildings to create gaps to prevent it from spreading. Unfortunately, the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth, refused to give the order to demolish houses near the bakery in Pudding Lane as he didn’t want to foot the bill to rebuild them.

In fact, he didn’t take the fire seriously at all, stating that “A woman could piss it out”! Fact Eight – At the time, it was thought that the fire was an act of foreign terrorism as retalliation for the English setting fire to a fleet of 140 ships and the town of West Tershelling in The Netherlands in August 1666. There are records of persecution of foreigners in London after the Great Fire. One French man, Robert Hubert, claimed that he had started the fire. He initially claimed he had started it in Westminster, then said he had started it in Pudding Lane. Despite his story not corresponding properly with events, he was tried, found guilty and hanged. After his death, it was discovered that Hubert wasn’t even in London when the fire started. He arrived two days into it! Fact Nine -The Monument is a 202 feet high (61 metres) column situated 202 feet away from the site of the bakery in Pudding Lane where the fire began. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren to commemorate the Great Fire of London and to celebrate the rebirth of the city after the fire.

A spiral staircase of 311 steps inside the Monument allows you to access a viewing platform near the top, giving you a panaromic view of London. The nearest tube station to the site is also known as Monument. Fact Ten – An apology for starting the fire was made by members of the Worshipful Company of Bakers to the Lord Mayor of London. This apology came in 1986, 320 years after the event!

Share this: Visit The Monument to the Great Fire of London You can contact Monument on Work +44 (0) 207 626 2717 Website: The Monument website can be visited at Monument opening times and ticket price Opening hours: Monument is open to the public from: 9.30 AM to 6 PM (Mon-Sun, Apr-Sep); 9.30 AM to 5.30 PM (Mon-Sun, Oct-Mar); Last entry 30 mins before closing Time required: A typical visit to Monument lasts 45 mins (approx) Ticket cost: The entry price for Monument is: Adult price £4.00; Child cost £2.00 (under-16) Visiting hours and admission charges are subject to change, and may not apply on public holidays. Always reconfirm entrance fees and whether it’s open to visitors before booking tickets and making plans to visit Monument How to get to Monument When visiting Monument you can use the following: Parking: Who built The Monument to the Great Fire of London? The Monument to the Great Fire of London was built to commemorate the devastating fire in 1666.

It was designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke, and its height is 203-feet from top to bottom – the exact distance from its base to the baker’s in Pudding Lane, where the Great Fire of London broke out. The Monument’s inscriptions The inscription on the north face describes how the Great Fire of London started, and the one on the south face shows Charles II taking action to douse the flames. The words on the east face describe how The Monument was built by Christopher Wren. The remaining side describes the destruction wrought by the Great Fire. An extra message was chiselled on in 1681 to try and blame the fire on the Catholics, but this was removed in 1831 when Catholics were given equal rights. Craig’s review of The Monument This review originally appeared in his London blog If you’ve got three quid in your pocket, half hour to spare, and don’t mind giving yourself a heart attack then try climbing up The Monument. You have to go through the little door at the front where a little old lady is wedged into a cubby hole about the size of a shoebox. Then she points you to the stairs and that is when you start regretting it.

The little leaflet says there’s only 311 steps but I think they must have miscounted because it seemed like a bazillion to me. The little stone steps wind tightly up the column for a million miles and it just goes on forever and ever. I thought I was going to come out onto the surface of the moon, that is how long it took me to climb it. There are a few little window ledges dotted around that you can sit on to get your breath back, but if you are unlucky enough to get a bunch of tourists coming down you have to dice with death and hug the wall while they squeeze past. When I got to the top I had a pair of jelly legs that no longer worked, and I felt like I’d just run the London Marathon. I guess I must be pretty unfit. Apparently suicidal people used to come up here and hurl themselves off the top, but I reckon a few of them must have died on the way up. View from The Monument When I got to the top it was a bit disappointing, to be honest. The whole viewing platform is enclosed in a tight wire mesh, so you can’t even get a decent picture.

They’ve got a few coin operated telescopes in the corners so you can view the edge of the earth, but there’s not many landmarks in range. Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast are quite close, but the Tower of London is pretty much blocked off by offices. You can see the Gherkin and a few skyscrapers in The City , but the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral is about the size of a 5p piece. As for anything further than Blackfriars bridge, forget it. The Monument is in the heart of The City so it’s just office blocks all round. The climb back down is a lot easier, thank God, especially if you just roll all the way down. And the little old lady gives you a nice little certificate to prove to the world that you were daft enough to climb ten miles to the top. Craig’s review of Pudding Lane What a disappointment! There’s nothing here. Pudding Lane is the kind of street that people pass through on the way to somewhere else. Half of the people who walk down here probably don’t even realise its significance because there’s nothing around to tell them (apart from The Monument next-door, of course).

It’s just a quiet side street between a load of concrete office blocks – it hasn’t even got any shop fronts in it. There’s a clanky old metal shutter into an underground car park… a few postie vans parked up whilst the delivery men deliver their parcels… a bicycle rack… two women on a fag break… two pigeons swanning about like they own the place… some litter… a lamppost… and me. I’ve just had a great idea… let’s burn it down again! Let’s get that baker bloke back and ask him to start a new inferno. Fire up your cakes, mate, I’d say, and make sure that there’s nobody upstairs this time. Once we’ve levelled it flat again we can build a big museum about the Great Fire of London, right next door to Christopher Wren’s Monument – and turn Pudding Lane into the tourist attraction that it’s supposed to be. > Read Craig’s latest review of The Monument “I climbed up The Monument yesterday – never again. I’m done with stairs. I’m not climbing up any stairs ever again.

After two minutes my heart was pounding loud enough to make a sound – it was the drumming percussion to my shuffling huffs and puffs. My chest was thumping, my legs were shaking, my head was sweating… continued.” > Read Craig’s latest review of Pudding Lane “It’s not often that lowly nobodies like me get the opportunity to change history, but if I was strolling down the river 350 years ago I could have smelt the burning buns, nipped into the bakers and said, “oy, mate… your cakes are on fire!”, and saved London from destruction. Because Thomas Faryner burnt more than a cake that day – he burnt the entire town down to the ground… continued.” London: A Visitor’s Guide Have you seen our guidebook? Honest reviews of 200 places with plenty of practical advice, money-saving tips, photos and maps > Have you seen his London guidebook? If you enjoy visiting The Monument in London then there are plenty more observation platforms in London. Check out view from the Sky Garden nearby, and the roof of One New Change . Or you can cross over the river and climb to the top of The Shard .

There are plenty more viewing spots on our page of great views in London . Share this page with your friends: > Talk about The Monument in the forum Guest – “It was a great place to go when I was a child. I was very thankful for the enclosing cage on the viewing platform - for fear of falling which I might have done.. With such weak legs after climbing 300+ steps. This is not a "one-off" place to go.. Just take it in with a walking tour from the tower to st. Pauls, the old bailey and the old lady of threadneedle street if you like. It's a great part of London's history.. So why not eh ?” JP1964 – “I quite liked the views from here. It's nice looking out over the offices and buildings and watching the world go by. If you use one of the little telescopes then you can literally see everything that is going on like a spy, I had a good nose into the windows to see people doing their work. The good thing is you can stay up there as long as you want.

There's not much room up there because its only a little narrow walkway that goes all the way round, but its not so high that you feel like its swaying about, like big buildings do these days. Its a sturdy bit of stone. They dont build them like they used to!.” If you enjoy the Monument view, then you might also like the viewing platforms at: > One New Change One New Chane is a normal shopping centre… with a fantastic view of St. Paul’s Cathedral. > The Shard The Shard is one of London’s newest landmarks, towering more than 1000ft above Southwark. > St. Paul’s Cathedral St. Paul’s Cathedral, built after the Great Fire in 1666, boasts the second largest dome in Europe. > Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral is not as famous as the Abbey, but is worth a visit just for the high tower.

The Monument - Monument / Landmark in London The Monument Monument / Landmark, Scenic Lookout, and Historic Site City of London, London "Lovely views from the top and you get a certificate as well!"(12 Tips) "Climb the stairs for a great view across London and the Thames"(9 Tips) "One of the best views of London"(6 Tips) "London Eye about 45 degrees"(4 Tips) 84 Tips and reviews Log in to leave a tip here. Post Norman McLeod September 14, 2013 London's history can be found in the most surprising locations, just like here. The views from the top when not mega-busy are superb, but bear in mind the climb will completely knacker you. Love it! Simon Willison November 17, 2012 Robert Hooke helped design it and had a laboratory in the basement - the central shaft doubles as a zenith telescope, and he also planned to use it for gravity and pendulum experiments.

Upvoted Nov 21, 2016 Kritt Normsaskul October 7, 2014 311 steps to the top is tiring but well with it! Go on sunny days 😊 Affords great 360 degree view of London and a great alternative to the Shard :) Adult £4, Kids and concessions £2.70. Roomsurfer Berlin June 28, 2013 Well, it's not as tall (or as shiny) as London's new Shard, but admission's just £3 and it's right in the heart of the city (+ you can get a certificate to say you made it to the top!) Bullbearings June 15, 2011 Enjoy a panoramic 360-degree view if you dare to walk up the 311 steps to reach the top. The monument was built in memory of the Great Fire of London and to celebrate the rebuilding of the city Jonathan Choo February 20, 2012 Visit this instead of the London Eye. Only 300+ steps or so, it's cheaper and it is better for your health.

Lovely views from the top and you get a certificate as well! New York Habitat March 22, 2012 If you’re not averse to a little bit of exercise, be sure to climb to the top for a fantastic view of London! It’s certainly cheaper than the London Eye, and you get a great history lesson too. Britannica August 5, 2011 Erected in the 1670s near the site of the fire’s origin (on Pudding Lane), it stands 202 feet (61.5 metres) above the pavement. It was most likely designed by the physicist and architect Robert Hooke Carl Griffin December 28, 2015 Designed by Sir Christopher Wren to comnemorate the Great Fire of London which started in a bakery nearby. Climb the 311 steps for great views. Oli Dowdeswell August 12, 2012 Cheaper to climb than St. Paul's and with a better view of the Thames. Plus, you get a nifty certificate.

Eray Yaşyerli November 11, 2012 If you afford to get all the stairs up you will see a wonderfull view.. Turkcesi: Bu kadar merdiven cikmayi bi yerleriniz yiyosa yukarda guzel manzara var.. :) Jose Lopez February 6, 2015 It's a long stair... But if you take the challenge a great view of London will be the reward ... Plus the certificate you got after climbing. HISTORY UK January 17, 2011 Built to commemorate the Great Fire of 1666, the height of the Monument is the same as its distance from the bakery on Pudding Lane where the fire started. Alexandre Curiel May 28, 2016 Dedicated to the Great Fire of London! You can actually go up to the top and enjoy nice views of the City Chelsea Bradley May 8, 2015 A long walk up, which gets tight the higher you go, but definitely worth it for the view. Get your certificate when you exit!

John September 13, 2014 It's great to take some time to read the plaque on the base of the monument to understand why it's here and why it's the height it is. @gabebernal December 9, 2011 Did you know that if you tipped the tower due east, the top of the tower would land on the exact spot where the Great Fire started in 1666?! Richard Gregory October 28, 2010 Recommended: It's truly spectacular up here - that is, after you've clambered up the narrow winding staircase of 311 steps to the viewing platform. It is well worth the effort! Read more Nick Beaver August 8, 2013 Look out for the tops of the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye about 45 degrees to the right of The Shard! veronica shleina August 5, 2013 Quite an exhausting way up, but the 90 degrees view of the capital is totally worth it. Regarding pics-taking: the safety net will spoil portraits.

Michelle Goodall April 19, 2012 Suprisingly good fun to climb, fab views when you're up there and you get a certificate when you go back down. Simon Willison November 17, 2012 311 steps... It's significantly taller than it looks from outside! Awesome view and a bargain for £3 Kevin Dulin September 17, 2016 A great workout getting to the top, but great views of the city! Martin Tiedemann May 21, 2012 2 September: Visitors are invited to climb the 311 spiral steps to the Monument's observation gallery, and admire the views over the City. Brandon 🍣🍶☕️ December 27, 2015 The steps are no joke. It is a very long climb and quite dizzying but worth it. Only a few quid to go to the top, awesome views and you get a certificate. Jacques May 13, 2015 Tammy Cowan - Learn December 23, 2011 Its a hike to the top but you get a certificate so even my 5yo made the effort.

Michael Holdsworth April 28, 2015 Wonderful architecture, a must see in London. Michelle Macdonald September 11, 2016 Was empty on a sunday when we went in. Ladies toilets were dirty though, 2 out of 5 toilets had faeces smattered over them, anotger one leaking and just one toilet roll to share between 5 cubicles. Jose January 25, 2014 Kelly Wong September 16, 2015 Built to commemorate the great fire of London. Lots of stairs to get to the top. Queen Adama April 15, 2014 Beautiful land mark. Be sure that you're physically fit to climb 311steps. OngAndrew 翁 January 15, 2015 Great architecture & good scenic view Queen Adama April 15, 2014 Beautiful Landmark. Be sure that you're physically fit to climb 311 steps. John Harrold January 5, 2010 Climb the 300 odd step to gain a wee peek at a grand view of London.

Monument signifies the point where the Great fire of London started back in the day Oliver Shreeve September 26, 2014 It's got Latin and stuff written on it. Good training for your O levels J. I.G. October 30, 2014 Climb the stairs for a nice view. Cheaper than the London Eye Andries De Clippeleir February 7, 2014 Nice view on top of the monument.. Only 3£.. Good deal! André Martins August 22, 2015 Remarkable. Very intense. Juli Foranna Juliero April 25, 2013 Don't forget to get your certificate when you come down! :) Paul Novarese October 19, 2015 Some great bas relief here. Beautiful workmanship. Kevin McCulley May 23, 2015 A little London history, and great for TFL nerds Janar Merilo January 16, 2016 311 stone steps to the vieweing platform.

Chrissy August 1, 2012 Only to be tackled if you are slim and your heart is in good working order! Londonist October 7, 2010 In 1814, a fishmonger's lad took a pony to the top of the Monument, just for the fun of it. Would you credit it? Visiting the Past: The Great Fire of London – visitlondon.com blog Visiting the Past Guest post by the Museum of London 2 Sep Pin It Please note this blog is no longer active. This post was last updated 3 years, 4 months ago and may contain out of date prices, opening times, links and information. Go to for the lastest visitor information for London. Today marks the anniversary of the Great Fire of London , which started at around 1am on Sunday 2 September 1666, in a bakery on Pudding Lane. Over the next four and a half days, 13,200 houses were destroyed by the relentless flames and an estimated 100,000 people were made homeless. There is nothing left of the famous Pudding Lane bakery, though there is a plaque to mark its rough location.

However, in 1979 archaeologists discovered the remains of a burnt-out building from the Great Fire on the same street. This would have been about two houses down from the bakery. In the sooty cellar, filled with fire debris, the archaeologists found traces of wooden barrels of pitch. This highly combustible substance, used for waterproofing boats, would have generated a huge and extremely hot fire that easily spread to other buildings. It is tempting to wonder whether the Great Fire would have been so great, had the buildings on Pudding Lane not been full of such flammable things. The Monument to the Great Fire, designed by Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren, still stands close to Pudding Lane. This huge column was finished in 1677 and since then visitors have been able to climb its 311 steps to a viewing platform overlooking London. The Monument was originally designed both to commemorate the Great Fire and for the Royal Society to conduct scientific experiments. It was also intended to be a zenith telescope to observe the movements of stars, as there is a hollow shaft running from a cellar in the base, up the centre of the column, to a hatch in the flame on top.

The cellar and the hatch are not accessible to the public so many people are not aware of this hidden aspect of the Monument’s history. To find out more about the Great Fire of London, visit the Museum of London’s War, Plague and Fire gallery . To look at objects relating to the Great Fire in the Museum of London collection, visit the Collections Online pages . A guest blog by Meriel Jeater of the Museum of London as part of the Visiting the Past series.

The Monument London - Great Fire - e-architect Home > London > The Monument London – Great Fire The Monument London – Great Fire Published by Adrian Welch updated on September 12, 2016 The Monument London, Fish Street Hill, Architecture, Column Building, Images, Architect The Monument London City Memorial, England, UK – by architect Christopher Wren: Information + Photos page updated 2 Jul 2014 The Monument London Monument – New photo from 12 Nov 2012: photo © Adrian Welch Summary: stone Roman Doric column, commemorating the Great Fire Location: 18 Fish Street Hill Contact: 020 7626 2717 The Monument, City of London – Monument to the Great Fire of London photos © Adrian Welch Address: Fish Street Hill, London EC3R 8AH Height: 62 m Date: 1671-77 This massive memorial stands at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill, 202 ft (62 m) tall and 202 ft (62 m) from the place where the Great Fire started on 2 September 1666.

Another monument, the Golden Boy of Pye Corner, marks the point near Smithfield where the fire stopped. Constructed between 1671 and 1677, it is the tallest isolated stone column in the United Kingdom and was built on the site of St. Margaret’s, Fish Street, the first church to be burnt down by the Great Fire. The Monument comprises a fluted Doric column built of Portland stone topped with a gilded urn of fire, and was designed by Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke. Its height marks its distance from the site in Pudding Lane of the shop of Thomas Farynor, the king’s baker, where the Great Fire began. The top of the Monument is reached by a narrow winding staircase of 311 steps. A mesh cage was added in the mid-19th century at the top of the Monument to prevent people jumping off to commit suicide.

Source: wikipedia Monument Square: Toilet block at the memorial to the Great Fire of London: Glass Pavilion + landscaping 2007 IntroductionThe Monument to the Great Fire of London | The Monument to the Great Fire of London You Are Here: Home → History → Introduction Introduction The Monument stands at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill in the City of London. It was built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London and to celebrate the rebuilding of the City. The Monument, 1750, Sutton Nicholls The fire began in a baker’s house in Pudding Lane on Sunday 2nd September 1666 and finally extinguished on Wednesday 5th September, after destroying the greater part of the City. Although there was little loss of life, the fire brought all activity to a halt, having consumed or severely damaged thousands of houses, hundreds of streets, the City’s gates, public buildings, churches and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The only buildings to survive in part were those built of stone, like St. Paul’s and the Guildhall. As part of the rebuilding, it was decided to erect a permanent memorial of the Great Fire near the place where it began.

Sir Christopher Wren, Surveyor General to King Charles II and the architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and his friend and colleague, Dr Robert Hooke, provided a design for a colossal Doric column in the antique tradition. They drew up plans for a column containing a cantilevered stone staircase of 311 steps leading to a viewing platform. This was surmounted by a drum and a copper urn from which flames emerged, symbolizing the Great Fire. The Monument, as it came to be called, is 61 metres high (202 feet) – the exact distance between it and the site in Pudding Lane where the fire began. The Monument in 1794 The column was completed in 1677, and in accordance with Wren’s original intention, was at first used as a place for certain experiments of the Royal Society, but vibrations caused by ceaseless traffic proved too great for the success of these experiments and they were discontinued; thereafter the Monument became a place of historic interest, unique of its kind, providing visitors with an opportunity to look across London in all directions from a height of about 160 feet, being the level of the public gallery.

Share This Page THE MONUMENT - CITY and POOL OF LONDON WALKS The Monument, built by Sir Christopher Wren to commemorate the Great Fire of London. The Great Fire of London started in Thomas Farynor’s bakery, Pudding Lane. The Monument at 61.5m tall is exactly 61.5m from where the fire started. VISITOR INFORMATION Opening Hours: Daily: 09.30 - 17.30 call +44 (0) 207 626 2717 for details Cost: Adults £3.00, Concessions: £2.00, Child: £1.50 Children of 13 years or younger must be accompanied by an Adult Facilities: Toilets in pedestrianised forecourt Cafes, Restaurants and Bar all close by Events: see Further Information THE MONUMENT Great Fire of London The Monument, on Fish Street Hill in the City of London, commemorates the 1666 Great Fire of London and at 61.5m is the tallest free-standing stone column in the world.

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren on the orders of King Charles II the Monument was completed in 1677. The Portland stone column is topped with a gild-bronze flaming urn which shines on even the cloudiest of days. Wren’s original proposal was to place a statue of the King on top, but Charles objected stating ‘I did not start the fire’. The Great Fire, which started in a bakers shop in Pudding Lane exactly 202 feet (61.5m) away from the Monument, destroyed 80% of the City of London’s medieval buildings including St Paul’s Cathedral. Fanned by a strong wind, the fire raged through the City’s densely packed wooden buildings for over 5 days. Eventually it was brought under control by soldiers from the Tower of London barracks who, taking advantage of the lighter winds, created effective fire breaks by blowing up buildings. Although over 70,000 people’s homes, 87 churches, 44 halls, The Royal Exchange and Customs House were all destroyed there was relatively little loss of life. Open to the public, the Monument is a popular tourist and visitor attraction.

The hollow stone column has no lift, just 311 spiral steps to the viewing platform, once the highest viewpoint in London. Now, fully caged in for safety, the sights from the top are some of the best in London, offering 360 degree views of the City and beyond. In July 2010, the Monument won the prestigious City Heritage Award. Presented on an annual basis, the award is given to the best refurbishment project in the City of London.

Question: Which architect designed the Monument to the Great Fire of London on Pudding Lane in London?
Answer: CHRISTOPHER WREN